Multi-passage muffler producing colliding fluid streams



Sept 20, 1956 c. M. HAMILToN z-:TAL 3,273,666

MULTI-PASSAGE MUFFLER PRODUCING COLLIDING FLUID STREAMS Filed March 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS.

B ATTORNEY.

Sept 20, 1966 c. M. HAMILTON ETAL 3,273,666

MULTI-PASSAGE MUFFLER PRODUCING COLLIDING FLUID STREAMS Filed March 5, 1964 HWK/@wf ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,273,666 MULTI-PASSAGE MUFFLER PRODUCING COLLIDING FLUID STREAMS Charles M. Hamilton, 876 Niagara St., and Daniel M. Kapral, 441 Fargo Ave., both of Buffalo, N.Y. Filed Mar. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 349,712 9 Claims. (Cl. 181-56) The present invention relates to an improved muiller construction of the type generally used for internal combustion engines.

In the past mufllers which have been used with internal combustion engines were relatively large and cumbersome. This not only increased their cost but a-lso posed a problem as to where they could be expediently located on the vehicle. In addition they were general-ly fabricated of sheet metal, and because of their large size were generally located underneath the vehicle where they were subjected to corrosion producing factors which greatly limited their .useful life. It is with the overcoming of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is concerned.

It is according-ly one object of the present invention to provide an -improved mufller construction for use with a conventional automotive vehicle, said muiller being of extremely small size and therefore capable of being located at any convenient location in the vehicle, such as on the exhaust manifold, or if desired, in the convent-ional location underneath the vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved mufller for a vehicle which can be fabricated by simple casting techniques and can therefore be produced relatively inexpensively.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved mulller construction for use on a vehicle which, notwithstanding its extremely small size, produces no back pressure on the engine.

Still ano-ther object of the present invention is to provide an improved mufller for a vehicle which is highly resistant to corrosive elements, both the gases within and the elements without and can therefore easily last for the life of a vehicle. Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.

The improved mutller of the present invention includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the housing being d-ivided into two por-tions. The .'rst portion which is adjacent the inlet is of generally diverging configuration away from the inlet and includes a plurality of interngered baffles each having a relatively large opening associated therewith and a plurality of relatively small openings such that .the areas of the smaller openings in each baille substantially equals the area of the relatively 'large opening. A portion of the fluid passing into the mufiler inlet is caused to follow a path through the larger openings, which are out of line with each o-ther, to thereby cause this part of the flow to follow sinuous path. In addition part of the flow is through each of the smaller openings of each baille and this portion of flow is forced into the portion passing through the larger openings associated with each baille so as to cause intimate mixing of different portions of the gases passing relative to each baille. It is believed that this intimate mixing in combination with the gradual increasing of the volume of the first portion of the housing contributes greatly to the elimination of sound without the creation of a back pressure. The housing also includes a second portion having a plurality of channels, extending substantially longitudinally of the housing, which converge toward the outlet and tend to squeeze the gases together to there- ICC by further improve the silencing action without the creation of objectionable back pressure. The muiller is preferably made by casting, either sand casting or die casting. When made by the latter process it can be made in halves and then assembled. The muffler of the present invention can either be located between the exhaust pipe and the tail pipe, as are conventional mufllers, or it can be attached directly to the exhaust manifold of .the vehicle within the engine compartment, because of its extremely small size. Because the muffler is cast, it is highly corrosion resistant 4and can easily last for the life of a vehicle. The present invention will be more fully understood when the fol-lowing portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is an elevational view of one form of the improved mutller of t-he present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially along line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 Iis a view taken in the direction of line 3-3 of FIG. 2 but showing a mod-ified baille construction which may be utilized, certain portions of the mufller of FIG. 5 having been omitted in the interest of clarity;

FIG. 6 is a view similar Ito F-IG. 5 but showing a still further modified baille construction which may be utilized;

FIG. 7 is a view of a half of afurther modified type of mufller which may be fabricated by a die casting technique, this view being taken along line 7 7 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 8 is a view taken along line 8 8 of FIG. 7 showing how two mirror image halves of a mufller construction such as shown in FIG. 7 may be assembled to provide an entire mufller.

In FIGS. 1-4 an improved mufller 10 is shown having a housing 11 which includes an inlet por-tion 12 and an outlet portion 13. A first housing portion 14 of a configuration which diverges away from inlet 12 is located proximate inlet 12. A second housing portion 15 having a plurality of channels 16, 17, 18, and 19 divided by partitions 20, 21, and 22, respectively, is located between the widest portion of first housing portion 14 and outlet 13. A c-ircula-r flange 23 is located proximate inlet 12 for attachment to a flange 24 which may be placed on the opposite side of exhaust pipe flange 25 from flange 23, said flanges 23 and 24 being secured to each other by bolts 27 to thereby attach the muffler lto exhaust pipe 28. Bolts 27 extend through suitable aligned holes in flanges 23, 24, and 25, said bolts .having nuts (not numbered) cooperating therewith to maintain .these parts in assembled relationship. A suitable construction may be provided for attaching a tail pipe to flange 2S adjacent outlet 13.

The first housing portion 14 includes a plurality of intenfingered baffles 29, 30, 31, and 32. As can best be seen from FIG. 3, each of the baflles extends from the wall 33 of housing portion 14 and is cut away at a portion thereof to provide a relatively large opening for the passage of fluid through housing portion 14. More specifically, baflle's 29, 30, 3-1, and 32 have openings 34, 35, 36 and 37, respectively, associated therewith, each of said openings being relatively large and being formed by in effect cutting away a chord of la circle which would otherwise exist if all peripheral portions of the baille were in engagement with the internal portion of wall 33. lIt will readily be appreciated that a portion of the gases passing from left to right through the muffler in FIG. 2 will pass around each of the baflles 29, 30, 31, and 32 by passing through the relatively large openings 34, 35, 36, and 37, respectively, and thereby such portions of the fluid will be caused to travel .in a sinuous path.

However, in order to cause the breaking up of the sound by the diffusion and .intimate mixing of the gases, each of the bailles is provided with a plurality of relatively small apertures. More specifically, bailles 29, 30, 31, and 32 are provided with apertures 38, 39, 40, and 41, respectively, each of said apertures being relatively small and preferably the total cross sectional area of the small apertures in each baffle being substantially equal to the cross sectional area of the cut away portion or large aperture of the respective baille. Therefore a portion of the flow of the gases which passes relative to each baille will pass through the relatively small openings associated therewith.

The combined effect of the flow through the relatively large openings associated with each of the bailles and through the relatively small openings associated with each of the baes provides the intimate mixing above referred to. From FIGURE 2 it will be noted relative to baille 29 that a portion of the flu-id flow coming from inlet 12 passes through relatively large opening or cut away portion 34 and a portion of this flow thereafter passes between baille 29 and baille 30. However a portion of the fluid ilow passing through inlet opening 12, instead of passing through relative-ly large opening 34 passes through relatively small openings 38. The porftion of the flow passing through relatively smal-1 openings 38 tmixes with a portion of the flow which has previously passed through relatively large opening 34 and this mixing occurs between bailles 29 and 30 and is very intimate. Thereafter a portionof the intimately mixed gases between baffles 29 :and 30 passes through cut away portion 35 associated with baille 30 while a portion of the mixed gases between bailles 29 and 30 passes through relatively small apertures 39 in baille 30. This causes a breaking up of the intimately mixed gases between bailles 29 and 30 and a remixing of such gases in the location between baille 30 and baille 31. The same .action is thereafter repeated with respect to bailles 31 and 32. More specifically, the intimately mixed gases between bailles 30 and 31 are broken up because a portion i-s caused to pass through Opening 36 and another portion is caused to pass through relatively small apertures 40. The gases thereafter again intimately mix in the space between bailles 31 and 32 and a portion of the mixed gases between bailles 31 and 32 pass through aperture 37 and a portion pass through apertures 41. These gases are thereafter remixed to the right of battle 32 (FIG. 2). By the time the gases reach portion 42 near the widest part of first housing portion 14, the sound has been substantially completely muffled because of the intimate mixing or diffusion resulting from the repeated mixing and remixing in the above-described manner. Furthermore it is believed that because the fluids have passed through the first housing portion 14 in a path which permits them to expand because the housing portion itself is divengent away from inlet 12, the back pressure on the gases entering the mufiler has been greatly minimized.

The gases leaving the widest portion 42 of substantially frusto-conical housing portion 14 thereafter pass into convrging channels 16, 17, 18, and 19 where these gases are squeezed and the sound further muflled prior to the discharge of these gases through outlet 13, consisting of a plurality of rectangular openings 16', 17', 18 and 19'.

The combined effect of causing the gases to follow the above-described paths in generally frusto-conical housing portion-s 14 and 15 is to muflle the sound produced by the engine with which the muiller is associated without causing objectionable back pressure on the engine. A muffler made in accordance with the present invention which is approximately six inches in length and wi-th the parts in the same relative proportions shown in FIG. 2

has been found satisfactory in operation. It will be appreciated that the muffler size can be varied to meet requirements of different types of engines from those which power Diesel trucks to those which power lawn mowers.

In FIG. 5 a modified form of baille for use in the present invention is disclosed. This modified form of baille is generally similar to the bailles 29, 30, 31, and 32 of FIG. 2 but posses a smaller number of holes. More specifically, housing portion 14' has a plurality of bailles therein such as 43 .and 45 each of the bailles being of circular configuration except for cut away portions 44 and 46 in the form of a chord. Furthermore, bailles 43 and 45 have only a small number of holes 47 therein, in this particular instance 7. The remaining bailles are of similar configuration. It is to be noted that the ysmall holes in all of the bailles may be in alignment, as shown.

In FIG. 6 a further modified form of the present invention is disclosed. In this form the housing portion 14 possesses a plurality of interfingered bailles, such as 48 and 49 having cut away chord portions S6 and 51, respectively, each of the bailles having a plurality of ex- -tremely small apertures 52, the apertures of the various bailles being in alignment with apertures in the other of the bailles.

While a lesser number of larger holes such as 47 of FIG. 5 have given good results, it has been found that a larger number of smaller holes such as 52 of FIG. 6 has provided a better type of operation because the larger number of smaller holes give a better mixing and diffusing action in the above-described manner to muflle the sound. In the embodiments of both FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the total cross sectional area of the smaller holes in each baille is intended to be approximately equal to the cross sectional area of the single large cut away portion associated with each baille. Furthermore, relativeto FIGS. 5 and 6, while only two bafiles have been shown in each figure, it will be appreciated that there are actually four of such baille-s and, if desired, more or `less than four bafiles may be utilized depending upon the requirements for which the muiller is to be used.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 a further modified -form of the present invention is disclosed. The muiller 53 is made of two mirror image halves 54 and 55. All of the internal parts of this mufller may be identical, in overall configuration, to the parts shown in FIG. 2 except that Ithey are made of two halves which join at a parting line, as can be visualized from FIG. 8. More specifically, a baille such as 56 consists of halves 57 and 58 which are joined at parting line 59. A similar relationship exists between the other of the interfingered bailles, not numbered, and between the longitudinally extending partitions in the mufller. The portions of each half of mufller sections 54 and 55 which meet at the parting line may be ground in order to provide a good joint, and any suitable cement may be applied along the parting line between the halve-s to seal them. In order to join the two halves, halves 54 and 55 have lower flanges 60 and 61, respectively, and upper flanges 62 Vand 63, respectively, each of said flanges having a plurality of apertures, not numbered, which are adapted to be placed in alignment for receipt of fastening elements such as bolts 64 or rivets, not shown, which may be used to secure the mirror image halves together. It -is to be noted that the mufller of FIG. 7 differs from that of FIG. 2 in the further respect that it has inlet pipe 65 and outlet pipe 66 rather than the flanges which are shown in FIG. 2, the inlet and -outlet pipes being for the purpose of receiving the exhaust pipe and tail pipe, respectively, in telescoping relationship, the locking attachment thereafter being made by means of U clamps in the conventional manner. The advantage of the construction of FIGS. 7 and 8 is that it can be made very simply and expediently by die casting techniques. It is to be again noted relative to FIGS. 7 and 8 that after the halves 54 and 55 have been assembled, the general overall configuration of the internal parts of the mufllers and the external housing parts except for the flanges 60, 61, 62, and 63 and the inlet and outlet pipes 65 and 66, may be identical to the structure described above with respect to FIG. 2, and 'therefore a detailed description of all of the elements of FIGS. 7 and 8 has not been made. It is also to be noted that the relatively small apertures in the interiingered bailles of FIGS. 7 and 8 may actually be made during the die-casting process or may be drilled afterwards.

With respect to all embodiments of the present invention, the -relatively large opening of each baille should be sufficiently small so as to force an eilective portion of the iluid thro-ugh the relatively small openings in each of the bailles, but the total area of the relatively large and relatively 'small openings of each baille should be sumciently large to avoid objectionable back pressure.

It is to be especially noted that while the cut-away portions associated with each of the above-described interiingered bailles have been depicted as the chords of circles, it will be appreciated that such relatively large openings may take any other form which may be desirable, such :as large circular holes. It is also to be noted that -certain of the relatively small apertures of the various interilngered bailles of all the embodiments of the invention may or may not be in alignment with the relatively small apertures of adjacent bailles.

The following dimensions for a muiller such as shown in FIGS. 1-4 has been found to encompass all of the above-discussed principles and to provide eillcient mufiling without back pressure. The dimension between the outside faces of flanges 23 and 28 is 6". The diverging portion 14 has a circular opening of approximately Ms" at inlet 12 and a terminal internal opening of approximately 21/2" at the leading edges of longitudinally extending partitions 20, 21, and 22. Each 4of the bailles 29, 30, 31, and 32 are 1A `thick and there is a Mi spacing between them. Furthermore, the maximum height of each of the chords is approximately 1A. (It is to be noted that the chords can be much smaller as can be seen from FIG. 6` Without building up back pressure.) Furthermore the diameter of baille 29 is approximately 1; the diameter of baille 30 is 1%, the diameter of baille 31 is l1/2"; and the diameter of baille 32 is 2". The Width of the inlets to each of chambers 16, 17, 18, and 19 is and the outlets of these chambers are 1/s in width and 11A long. As noted above, in each of the bailles a sulicient number of relatively small apertures of approximately Ms in diameter are provided to give a total area which is substantially equal to the area provided by the cut-away portions forming the relatively large aperture of chord configuration. In addition it has been found that the relatively large apertures or cut-way portions 34 35, 36, and 37 of the above-described dimensions are suiliciently small to cause an eilective portion of the gases passing between the bailles to pass through the relatively small apertures.

It will be appreciated, however, that departures may be made from the foregoing dimensions such as in FIG. 6 wherein cut-away portions Si) and 51 are much smaller than the cut-away portions 34 and 37 described above with respect to FIG. 2 and it will be appreciated that other changes in dimensions may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the present invention.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will readily be appreciated that the instant invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

1. A muiller comprising a housing, an inlet in said ment with the relatively large opening means associated with other of said bailles to thereby cause portions of the ilow entering said housing from said inlet to follow a sinuous path through said relatively large opening means, a plurality of relatively small opening means in each of said bailles to permit a portion of the ilow to pass therethrough which does not pass through the relatively .large opening means of each baille whereby the flow emanating from said relatively large opening means of a baffle is caused -to mix with the ilow emanating from tbe relatively small opening means of the same baille to thereby effect an extensive mixing action on said iloW passing through said housing, and a plurality of partitions extending generally in the direction of ilow of gases through said muiller and providing passageways which converge toward said outlet. w

2. A muiller as set forth in claim 1 wherein said relatively large opening means comprises a cut-away portion on each of said bailles, said cut-away portions being located between said bailles and said housing.

3. A muiller as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing consists of a iirst portion which contains said bailles and a second portion which contains said partitions, said first portion being proximate said inlet and said second portion being proximate said outlet, said first portion being of diverging configuration to thereby permit expansion of gases passing relative to said bailles to thereby reduce the building up of black pressure by said muiller.

4. A muiller as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cross sectional area of said relatively small holes in each baille is substantially equal to the cross sectional area of said relatively large hole.

5. A muiller comprising a housing, an inlet in said housing, an outlet in said housing, a plurality of adjacent bailles in said housing extending transversely to the path of flow of fluid between said inlet and said outlet, said bailles being located in a `first portion of said housing which diverges from said inlet toward said outlet, each of said bailles inclu-ding relatively large opening means being out of -alignment with the relatively large opening means of an adjacent baille to thereby cause first portions of said fluid to pass in a sinuous path around said bailles during the passage of said iluid from said inlet toward said outlet through said diverging portion of said housing, each of said bailles also including relatively small openings therein for permitting sec-ond .portions of the ilow to pass through each of said bailles and into said ilrst portions of said fluid which passed through said relatively large opening means of said bailles to thereby eilect a thorough mixing of said first and second portions of said fluid passing past each of said bailles, .said relatively large opening means being suiliciently small so .as to force an effective portion of the iluid through said relatively small openings, said housing including .a plurality of converging chambers extending substantially longitudinally of the ilow between said inlet and said outlet, said converging chambers transmitting the fluid emanating from said bailles to said outlet.

6. A mufller comprising an elongated housing having an inlet and an outlet, -a plurality of bailles in sai-d housing extending in -spaoed relationship from a location proximate said inlet toward said outlet and each ,being positioned transversely to the path of ilow between said inlet and said outlet, a relatively large opening means associated with each of .said baffles, each of said relatively large opening means being ou-t of alignment with the relatively large opening means associated an adjacent ibame to thereby cause portions of the ow entering -said housing from said inlet to follow a sinu-ous path through said relatively large opening means, -a plurality of relatively small opening means in each of said bailles to permit a portion of the ilow to pass therethrough which does not pass through the relatively large opening means of each baille whereby the flow emanating from said relatively large opening means of a baille is caused to mix with the -ilow emanating from the relatively small opening means of the same baille to thereby eiect an extensive mixing action of said ow passing through said housing, and a plurality of elongated conduits to provide passageways for said iiow which has previously passed relative to said baffles, said plurality of elongate-d conduits extending generally longitudinally of said housing and being located between said outlet of said housing and said plurality of baies.

7. A muler as set forth in claim 4 wherein said rnuller comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending sections yand means -for securing said sections to each other.

8. A muffler as set forth in claim 5 wherein said muffler comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending sections, and means for securing said sections to each other to provide a complete muffler.

9. A muler comprising a housing, `an inlet in said housing, an outlet in said housing, a plurality of baliies in said housing spaced from each other along the path of duid ow between said inlet and said outlet and extending transversely to the path of uid -ow ,between said inlet and said outlet, aperture means associated with each of said bales for causing the uid ow relative to each of said bales to be divided into a plurality of colliding paths to thereby effect a repeated separation and mixing of said uid to provide an extensive mixing thereof as it moves from said inlet toward said outlet, said baflies being located in a frusto-conical portion of said housing which diverges from said inlet toward said outlet to thereby permit expansion of said duid during the passage thereof between said inlet and said outlet to thereby tend to prevent excessive buildups of duid pressure at said inlet, said aperture means associated with each of s-aid baffles cornprising relatively large aperture means for permitting the flow to pass through a rst path relative to each of said bales and -a plurality of relatively small aperture means to cause the uid flow to pass in second paths relative to said ballles, said fluid flow through said relatively large aperture means and said plurality of relatively small aperture means combining to provide said plurality of colliding paths of the -tlui-d as it ows relative to each of said baffles, and an additional housing portion extending between said frusto-conical diverging portion of said housing and said outlet, land a plurality of chambers in said additional housing portion extending substantially longitudinally of the path of uid flow through said additional housing portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,186,067 6/ 1916 Becker 181-69 1,264,853 4/ 1918 Phyfe. 1,357,079 10/ 1920 Patch 181-46 1,622,692 3/ 1927 Wendling. 1,740,805l 12/1929 Brice. 2,667,940 2/ 1954 Callihugh 181-49 2,723,723 11/ 1955 Halliday et al 181-70 2,834,426 5/1958 Mason 181-70 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,126,701 7/1956 France.

21,577 1901 Great Britain. 190,190 12/ 1922 Gre-at Britain. 285,604 2/ 19128 Great Britain.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

LEO SM'ILOW, Exam in er.

R. S. WARD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MUFFLER COMPRISING A HOUSING, AN INLET IN SAID HOUSING, AN OUTLET IN SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF BAFFLES IN SAID HOUSING EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE PATH OF FLOW BETWEEN SAID INLET AND SAID OUTLET, A RELATIVELY LARGE OPENING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID BAFFLES, EACH OF SAID RELATIVELY LARGE OPENING MEANS BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH THE RELATIVELY LARGE OPENING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER OF SAID BAFFLES TO THEREBY CAUSE PORTIONS OF THE FLOW ENTERING SAID HOUSING FROM SAID INLET TO FOLLOW A SINUOUS PATH THROUGH SAID RELATIVELY LARGE OPENING MEANS, A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY SMALL OPENING MEANS IN EACH OF SAID BAFFLES TO PERMIT A PORTION OF THE FLOW TO PASS THERETHROUGH WHICH DOES NOT PASS THROUGH THE RELATIVELY LARGE OPENING MEANS OF EACH BAFFLES WHEREBY THE FLOW EMANATING FROM SAID RELATIVELY LARGE OPENING MEANS OF A BAFFLE IS CAUSED TO MIX WITH THE FLOW EMANATING FROM THE 